Podcast

Go to college to get the degree to land the job to make the money to buy the house to retire early to live a life of comfort and security. That’s the “American Dream” flavored kool-aid we’ve been drinking for the last 70 years. In ’69, this was a sure fire way to live the good life. But what happens when you blindly follow that path today? Most of the time, you end up stuck. Stuck in a boring town that’s not as cool as it used to be. Rooted down by a house that’s too big of a pain to sell. Working a job you’re… continue reading.

Somehow, the purpose of lifting weights has gotten lost in today’s training culture. For one reason or another, complexity has replaced simplicity. And it’s not helping any of you get in the best shape of your life. Before information overload confused us all, people did it right. Guys went to the gym to lift weights and get strong. Then, they played some sports or did some conditioning the other days to stay lean. They didn’t blend conditioning into their lifting, or run sprints between sets. They understood the single most important factor for getting jacked: Building strength.  Whether… continue reading.

Carbohydrates are the double edged sword of performance nutrition. On the one hand, they give you great workouts and make any muscle building diet more effective.  On the other hand, too much of them will slap saggy belly fat on you. Especially if you haven’t gotten lean enough to handle a higher carb diet. Now, throughout my years of obsessing over how to gain muscle as fast as humanly possible, I’ve tried every diet under the sun. Ketogenic diets, cyclic ketogenic diets, vegetarian, paleo, and high protein diets. And to this day, I’m always tweaking things to get better performance, more muscle, and fast… continue reading.

If there’s one thing that curses genetically average, skinny-fat guys, it’s the constant cycle of yo-yoing up and down between fat loss and size gain. The vicious cycle that transforms you from a doughy ball of pudding into an emaciated bean pole with a pot belly. Over and over again. I see it all the time. A guy realizes he needs to get lean because his stomach ripples and shakes like a bowl of jello with every step. But, he has tube steaks arms and zero muscle. So when he gets lean, he freaks out at the sight of his hideous physique. This… continue reading.

Why do you train? Is it to look a certain way, or does your motivation go past the superficial rewards? It better. As a man, you have an obligation to build the physical and mental strength to protect yourself and those you love. It’s easy to think that as long as you’re big, strong, and jacked, you’re prepared to defend yourself in most situations. Toss some martial arts training and you’re going above and beyond what’s necessary. I used to think that way, too. But after speaking with today’s guest, Tim Larkin, I realize it’s not enough. Tim is the world’s… continue reading.

We all have dreams of finding the perfect job. Of creating a life where we set our own schedule, do only the things we love, and say, “No” to anything else. Oh right, we gotta make a living too. If so many people want to move towards an unconventional career, why don’t most do it? For one, it’s hard. Creating your dream job can mean opening yourself up to criticism from those scared to rock the boat and defy the status quo. It’s also flat out confusing. There are so many ways to transform an unfulfilling life into one of financial freedom and complete satisfaction. Should… continue reading.

When it comes to getting jacked, focusing on the basics will get you 90% of the way there. That means doing the following: Staying consistent with 3 hard strength training workouts per week  Dialing in your nutrition plan  Adding in 1-3 high intensity conditioning sessions each week to stay lean. But, to take your physique to the next level, there are some advanced strategies that you can use in the gym and the kitchen. From body part specific workouts and training templates to small tweaks to your daily diet.  These adjustments will separate you from the masses. continue reading.

Three of the most common topics of confusion for guys who wanna get jacked are: Getting better at bodyweight exercises like chin-ups Advanced training techniques to increase muscle and strength gains  Stress management and avoiding adrenal burnout When it comes to getting better at pull-ups, there are hundreds of ways you can go about it, but only a few are smart and effective enough to give you results without beating up your shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The same goes for the advanced training techniques like rest-pause, forced reps, and drop sets. Many work, but you have to use them in ways that… continue reading.

While fitness has changed a lot the past few years, the path to getting strong and ripped never will. We’ve known for over a century now the few key principles of training and nutrition that will let any guy build muscle or lose fat. And no matter how many people I coach, or how many research articles come out, those truths remain the same. What does change, however, is the best way to go about achieving those goals. And throughout my 20+ years of getting guys jacked, I’ve uncovered the techniques that deliver optimal results. In this episode, I go into detail on those exact… continue reading.

Eat for health and longevity, first and foremost. Then for performance and aesthetics. If you’re committed to training for the rest of your life, you must follow this principle and accept the importance of food quality. Unfortunately, this concept still falls on deaf ears in the fitness industry, creating a culture that sends the wrong message to thousands of people. Those looking to transform their health, performance, and quality of life. Sure, you can get ripped eating snickers and twinkies, sucking back whey protein shakes, and calorie counting your… continue reading.

The Dad Bod fad that’s sweeping the nation has got to stop. The obsession with this hideous, pear-shaped physique is ruining men. It’s giving you an excuse to walk around with 30lbs of extra fat, flapping your gut and love handles as a badge of honor. Despite this trend, there are some who express the desire to shed themselves of their Dad Bod. For those of you out there, I have one messsage. Do the fucking work. Be a leader, resist temptation, display discipline, and assert yourself as a man who masters his mind, and takes control of his life. There is no secret to… continue reading.

Having spent almost two decades growing an online fitness business, young trainers always ask me how to “make it on the internet.” Few of them ever succeed, but the ones who do are the ones who work on the essential items I lay out. The ones I wish I had known 20 years ago. Today, Jon Goodman, from the industry leading Personal Trainer Development Center, joins me to discuss those items. If you are a trainer looking to branch out into the world of online fitness business, this is a must listen episode. Tune in to stop spinning your wheels and start making… continue reading.

A lot of you ask how to get jacked, despite a crazy schedule. You feel you don’t have time to go train, and I understand why. Most workouts are an hour long. Add in a warm-up before, a shower after, and you’re looking at two and a half hours! That’s an insane amount of time. Especially for the high-powered guy who has to take care of his job, be there for his family, and enjoy life.  But training doesn’t have to be this unrealistic, overwhelming commitment. In fact, its counter productive… continue reading.

Most people have a hard time feeling their lats. Thus, they have a hard time developing those muscles and building an impressive back. If that describes you here are 7 tips to help you out: 1) Lighten The Weight Most people go to heavy on all of their back exercises. 2) Slow Down Your Reps Focus on feeling the lats contract every inch of the way up and down. Don’t let momentum take over. 3) Hold Each Rep For 3 Seconds in the Contracted Position Squeeze and really focus on feeling every muscle. 4) Do Front Lever… continue reading.

Don’t call it a comeback. Ladies and gentleman, the Jay Ferruggia Show is back. Coming at you with a new strategy to build your body, strengthen your mind, and optimize your life. Many of you have asked where I’ve been the past two months and why I haven’t been recording shows. The reason all comes back to the need to focus. To have your One Thing that you put all of your effort into. Over the past 8 weeks, there have been a ton of… continue reading.